These Cheesy Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes are super easy, creamy, and flavorful! It’s the perfect side dish made with red potatoes, butter, milk, and Gruyere cheese, no mixer or masher required.
Are you team slow cooker or team crock pot?
It’s super annoying to me that one appliance can have two names. Is there a difference? I’m going with no. It’s like “soda” and “pop”. Maybe it’s regional?
If you’re here planning a holiday meal, you undoubtedly have a lot of food to make and you’re wondering how you’re going to get it all done. Crock pot mashed potatoes to the rescue! This recipe will save you precious space on top of your stove and give you enough time to stuff your rolls with cranberries (do it!).
The best crock pot mashed potatoes
There are quite a few recipes floating around out there for crock pot mashed potatoes, but what makes this one special is gruyere cheese. Are you buying gruyere? It’s kind of like Swiss cheese and it pairs so perfectly with the creamy homemade mashed potatoes.
This recipe is perfect for prepping before you head out to kids activities, or like I mentioned before, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and other holidays where you might want to save time and precious stove top space.
Crock pot mashed potato ingredients
- Red potatoes
- Water
- Butter
- Milk
- Gruyere cheese
- Salt & pepper
How to make red potatoes in the crock pot
- Spray the inside of a 2 quart crock pot with cooking spray.
- Place cubed potatoes in the crock pot, then top with water and 4 tablespoons of butter cut into small pieces.
- Cover and cook on high, undisturbed, for 3-4 hours.
- Remove the cover, add the remaining butter, and mash the potatoes with a fork.
- Add milk a little bit at a time to reach the desired consistency, making sure not to overmash the potatoes.
- Add shredded cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper, stirring until the cheese is melted and incorporated.
- Serve immediately or keep warm until ready to serve, stirring occasionally.
Top tips and questions
Where to find gruyere cheese
I usually find guyere in the fancy cheese section at any grocery store. It’s usually sold in wedges, but I can sometimes find it pre-shredded in bags. Keep in mind it will melt better if you shred it yourself.
Is gruyere cheese vegetarian?
Technically gruyere cheese is not vegetarian because it uses animal rennet in production. If this is important to you, be sure to check your label to see if it was made using animal rennet, or reach out to the company directly.
If you need a substitute, it may be easier to find a vegetarian version of fontina, swiss, or goat cheese.
How to keep mashed potatoes warm
I first made these cheesy crock pot mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving a couple of years ago. It was a total life saver. Even if you make them way too far in advance (which I totally did) you can keep them warm in the slow cooker until it’s time to eat without them doing that weird cemented mashed potato thing.
My crock pot has a “warm” setting, which I recommend using. If yours doesn’t have one you could just turn it off and keep them covered for a while and they would stay quite warm, or turn to low for a short period of time.
If you get these all mashed up with the cheese and keep them warm in the crock pot they might get too hot and end up cooking into little crunchy bits along the sides. Its not the worst thing in the world (it might actually be the best).
If you don’t want to keep them in the crock pot, transfer the potatoes to a metal bowl and cover with foil. Then place the bowl over a pot of simmering water on the stove (make sure the water is low enough that it doesn’t touch the bowl).
How to cook mashed potatoes in advance
You can make these homemade mashed potatoes up to 3 days in advance. Follow the recipe completely, then allow to cool for 1-2 hours.
Remove the crock pot insert, cover, and refrigerate. To warm, return the insert to the crock pot and set to “warm”. Stir occasionally, adding more milk or vegetable broth as needed to thin them out until warmed.
You could also warm them in a bowl over a double boiler as mentioned in the section above if you don’t want to use the slow cooker.
Mashed potatoes freeze great, just allow to cool and place in an airtight container before freezing. Let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
You may want to freeze mashed potatoes in smaller portions to allow you to grab just what you need from the freezer for a quick meal.
How to avoid gummy mashed potatoes
When mashing potatoes, they release starch. The more you mash, the more starch is released. Too much starch causes gummy, gluey potatoes.
To avoid this, only mash your potatoes until they’ve reached the desired consistency and try not to overwork them. I find that mashing these with a fork gives the best texture without overworking the potatoes.
What kind of potatoes to use for slow cooker mashed potatoes
I like to use red potatoes in the crock pot because they get super creamy. I also like to leave a little bit of the skin on for texture (red potato skin is delicious and easy to eat), but if you’re not into it go ahead and peel it all off. Really it’s your dinner and you can do what you want!
Can I make this recipe on the stove top?
I love that crock pot mashed potatoes are no boil, but if you want to cook on the stove top instead, just place the cubed potatoes in a large pot and cover with water by an inch or two.
Bring to a boil and let cook for 10-20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Drain, return to the pot, and continue with the recipe as stated. You will probably need more milk because you’re not using the cooking liquid.
You can refer to my mashed potatoes without milk recipe if you prefer to make mashed potatoes on the stove top without adding extra milk.
Tips for customizing cheesy crock pot mashed potatoes
- Stir in caramelized onions at the end
- Use yukon gold, sweet potatoes, or yams instead of red potatoes
- Stir in 1-2 heads of roasted garlic at the end (that’s what I did!)
- Use feta, cheddar, or another favorite cheese instead of gruyere
- Top with freshly chopped chives
- Top with crumbled bacon or vegetarian bacon bits
- Use vegan butter, almond milk, and skip the cheese for a vegan version
- Grate your own cheese to make sure it’s gluten-free
What to do with leftover mashed potatoes
These are my very favorite potatoes to use in my leftover mashed potato vegetarian hash! It’s a delicious warm and savory breakfast that can help you eliminate food waste, so be sure to try it!
What to serve with mashed potatoes
- Lentil Loaf
- Peanut Tofu
- Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
- Savory Vegetarian Hand Pies
- BBQ Tempeh
- BBQ Tofu
- Veggie Wellington
- Creamy Mushroom Tempeh
More potato recipes
- Mashed Potatoes without Milk
- Mashed Potatoes with Boursin
- Mashed Potato Bake
- Instant Pot Scalloped Potatoes
- Oven Roasted Rosemary Potatoes
If you make this recipe, be sure to rate it, leave a comment, or tag #theliveinkitchen on Instagram!
Cheesy Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 5-6 medium sized red potatoes, roughly peeled and cubed
- 1 cup water or vegetable stock
- 6 Tablespoons butter, divided
- ⅓-1/2 cup milk
- Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
Instructions
- Spray the inside of a small crock pot with cooking spray.
- Place potatoes in the crockpot, then top with water and four tablespoons of butter, cut into small pieces. Cover and cook, undisturbed, on high for 3-4 hours.
- Remove the cover from the crock pot and mash the potatoes with a fork or potato masher.
- Stir in milk until it reaches the desired consistency.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper and add the cheese and remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Keep stirring and mashing and stirring until the cheese is melted and the potatoes are relatively smooth.
- Serve immediately or, if you crock pot has a warm setting, cover and set to warm until ready to serve. If keeping in the crock pot for more than half an hour, stir occasionally.
Notes
Tips for customizing cheesy crock pot mashed potatoes
- Stir in caramelized onions at the end
- Use yukon gold, sweet potatoes, or yams instead of red potatoes
- Stir in 1-2 heads of roasted garlic at the end (that’s what I did!)
- Use feta, cheddar, or another favorite cheese instead of gruyere
- Top with freshly chopped chives
- Top with crumbled bacon or vegetarian bacon bits
- Use vegan butter, almond milk, and skip the cheese for a vegan version
- Grate your own cheese to make sure it’s gluten-free
Michelle says
Can they be cooked on low instead?
Rebecca says
Do you think this recipe would work with cauliflower being substituted in for the potatoes?
Lindsay Moe says
I really can’t say without testing it. I’m guessing it would be pretty different though.